Raw sewage dumping a sign of creaking infrastructure – The Yorkshire Post says

And analysis by the Labour party showing that raw sewage discharge more than doubled from 14.7 per overflow in 2016 to 29.3 in 2021 raises serious questions of the state of the infrastructure in this country.

Leisure and tourism spots across the country are being blighted by the discharge of raw sewage in rivers and seas.

Last week, the chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, called it a growing public health problem.

It is also another reminder of our creaking water infrastructure. Water reserves have dried up leading to a hosepipe ban coming into effect in the region this week.

Yorkshire Water and other utility companies have come under the microscope for leaks in the system with billions of litres of water being lost.

Now heavy rainfall on dry ground in other parts of the country is leading to private water companies saying that the network is overwhelmed – leading to sewage discharge.

There is also pressure on Liz Truss, the frontrunner to become the next Prime Minister, to justify her decision to slash £80m of sewage monitors from the Environment Agency’s budget, in order to make “efficiency savings”.

While there is a strong argument for making government departments more efficient, if it contributes to waterways being choked up with sewage then is that really a price worth paying?

It is clear that the next Government won’t just be able to turn a blind eye or nose to the problem.